Abstract

The presence of ground state conformers of crystal violet (CV) have been in dispute since 1942 when proposed by Lewis, Magel, and Lipkin.¹ They suggested the two conformers in alcohols to explain the disappearance of a shoulder (~550 nm) and the enhancement of a peak (~590 nm) in the absorption spectrum at low temperature (114 K). The predominant conformer, which was assigned to the origin of the peak, was assumed D₃ symmetry (propeller type) in which all phenyl groups are tilted in phase. The second conformer was supposed to have C₂ symmetry (distorted propeller type), being sited as the origin of the shoulder, in which one of the phenyl groups is tilted in the opposite direction.

© 1994 Optical Society of America